It's National Spring Cleaning Week - how will you celebrate?

So, my boss walked in my office yesterday and told me that it's National Spring Cleaning Week. I am not sure if she told me that because I have papers strewn all over my desk, along with a couple of mugs that haven't made their way to the kitchen yet, some hand sanitizer, a few assorted pens without their caps, ... I think you get the point. My office is not the paragon of cleanliness today.

I am not a neat freak by any stretch of the imagination, but luckily I have dodged the "pack rat" gene that some of my relatives possess. I am working hard to declutter my home - and today, looking around my office, I realize that a little decluttering here wouldn't hurt. And any time I think I may want to keep something that I really don't need, I think of the new shows about hoarders, and then I suddenly want to get rid of everything! I have been taking a lot of my clothes and household items to the local thrift store rather than just throwing them out - I know that my items are going to someone who needs them, and I am not adding to the local landfill.

Several years ago, when I first started at NRCM, I got to help put together a brochure about clean housekeeping. I spent a lot of time researching ways to make non-toxic householder cleaners, and learned a lot in the process. You can download this brochure or order a copy online at http://www.nrcm.org/publication_housekeeping.asp. There are non-toxic recipes for pest control (ants, slugs, fleas, etc.), toilet bowl cleaner, copper cleaner, and more.

Do you have suggestions you could share with us here about ways to replace toxic chemical cleaners with non-toxic alternatives? Please post a comment here and share your ideas with others.

I am not sure that National Spring Cleaning Week will ever replace my birthday as my new favorite holiday, but maybe I will try to celebrate it this year - using suggestions found in our Clean Housekeeping Guide. Happy cleaning everyone!

-Beth

Comments

I really love your post. Let's clean up the consumer products at the manufacturing level too so they are less toxic in the waste dumps.

Loved the article. I'm a declutter-er. If I could only get the rest of the family to be...
I use many of your ideas. Thank you for them.

[Beth]

Thanks so much for your comment, Suzie! I am glad you read our Tips of the Day. I have definitely learned some useful ideas from them as well. Hope you are having a great start to spring!

-Beth

[Suzie]

Great post. I read your Tip of the Day religiously - great, usable tips there, too. Thanks for everything you guys do.